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Combining the Multiple Streams Framework and Rose et al.'s (2020) tips for environmentalists to approach policy windows, we examined which strategies policy entrepreneurs from Brazil's National Cabotage Program and National Biofuels Policy adopted to ensure their approval. In the National Cabotage Program, the employment by the Ministry of Infrastructure of the capacities to foresee and create a policy window, reflected in the decision to create a Navigation and Waterways Department, and to persevere, continuously negotiating the draft bill of the Program with the executive and the legislative branches, contributed to policy approval. In the National Biofuels Policy, the employment of the capacities to respond by the association of sugarcane producers, through sending a market-based proposal to a call for policy proposals opened by the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and to frame, by emphasizing the biofuel policy as a solution for Brazil to attain its climate commitments, was key, sparing the use of other strategies. The findings suggest that more than one combination of strategies can lead to policy approval, whereas it is not necessary to adopt all of them in a single process, with seeming compensation between them. Future studies could investigate the outcomes of different combinations of capabilities and qualities of public policy entrepreneurs in other public policy processes. • Environmentalists can employ different strategies to influence policy processes. • More than one combination of strategies can lead to policy approval. • The framing of a Biofuel Policy as a climate policy likely reduced public opposition to it. • Policy entrepreneurs need to persevere in the absence of climate framing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At Asuwei and Liulitun in Beijing, two similar NIMBY facilities were proposed. Why did one incinerator survive, while the other was aborted? This article aims at explaining this puzzle and finding a solution to address the NIMBY problem that happens all across China today. With thorough comparative case studies, this article argues that a knowledge-based participation initiated by a policy entrepreneur from the public is helpful in addressing this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As lifecycle emissions accounting becomes more widely used in policy, it is important to understand how it has been applied. This paper analyses policy-making for two U.S. fuel regulations—the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)—that were pioneering not only in using life cycle assessment (LCA) in performance-based environmental regulations, but especially for including emissions from indirect land use change (ILUC). The case studies in this paper focus, in particular, on the decision to include ILUC in lifecycle emissions accounting. Tracing the development of these policies shows the key role of environmental policy entrepreneurs in advocating for ILUC emissions accounting during policy formulation. Moreover, it highlights a paradox in the use of science: although ILUC policy proponents were motivated by best available research, they were also politically enabled by scientific uncertainty and lack of understanding. Understanding this political dimension of decision-making is valuable for scholars as well as practitioners facing similar decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plug-in electric vehicles have the potential to contribute to a more energy-efficient and a less fossil dependent road transport system. Swedish local authorities are obligated through legislation to substitute fossil-fuelled vehicles and plug-in electric vehicles offer an alternative for achieving their climate goals. Previous studies assign certain individuals – the policy entrepreneurs – a central role when implementing new technologies in public authorities. By combining the theoretical model of policy entrepreneurs with the theory of outcome indicators, this paper demonstrates how the policy entrepreneur affects and accelerates the introduction of plug-in electric vehicles in local public authorities. The result shows that policy entrepreneurs undertake actions to inform and persuade the decision-makers and raise the issue on the political agenda. The policy entrepreneurs assess the travel demand, find appropriate applications and supervise the deployment process. The policy entrepreneurs inform and inspire vehicle users as a way to ensure acceptance and to increase usage. There are examples of policy entrepreneurs that have accomplished changes in policies governing vehicle use to favour the plug-in electric vehicles. Practical experiences legitimate the policy entrepreneurs when involving local society. The policy entrepreneurs consolidate the new technology within policy documents, amongst the users and in the surrounding society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary This paper documents changes in the field of water management in France, through the analyses of the activities of water professionals. Hydro-territory professionals work for local authorities in charge of water management at the watershed scale. Their functions appear to be fuzzy. Yet, this paper assumes that this fuzziness is a crucial feature as it manifests an ability to deal with “wicked” problems. Based on quantitative and qualitative inquiries, this paper discusses to what extent these new kind of professionals present themselves as, or differentiate themselves from, experts, facilitators or policy entrepreneurs. It contributes to the studies that highlight the new water professional as a transdisciplinary engineer capable of dealing with negotiation, cooperation or communication issues. Yet, the main result of our study is to show the embedded dimension of hydro-territory professionals, considering water governance as a long term issue of adjustment, assembling, fitting, in a territory and across scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Given the benefits of ubiquitous broadband deployment and availability that include economic growth, participation in the Internet economy and increased competitiveness, several countries have launched major national initiatives to accelerate broadband deployment including supporting such initiatives often as a part of their fiscal stimulus plans. These include Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Singapore, Sweden, UK and USA and the European Union as a whole. Despite the initiatives of developing countries, the broadband gap in terms of deployment and adoption between them and developed countries is increasing. There is recognition that there are significant challenges in designing the institutional infrastructure required for broadband deployment, which are accentuated in a developing country context due to the weak existing institutional environment. But since the impact of telecom and, broadband in particular, is more significant in developing countries than in developed ones, policy makers in developing countries are increasingly focusing on National Broadband Plans (NBPs). For example, policy makers in India realize that broadband can accelerate the increasing contribution of the service and knowledge sectors to India's economy and also help to alleviate its poor physical service delivery in areas such as health, education, banking, etc. and have adopted a broadband plan. This paper documents the development of the Indian NBP. Based on prior studies, we identify key factors that contribute to success of broadband deployment and adoption and based on these, we assess the Indian NBP. Further, it uses the framework of multiple streams (Kingdon, 1995) to critique the policy formulation and agenda setting aspects of NBP in an emerging economy. We also highlight the key differences in the policy making processes in developed and developing economies. Given the inter-linkages and complexities of implementing a broadband strategy, we identify the role and attributes of a policy entrepreneur that are critical to evolving the policy, in a developing country context and how these differences lead to the primacy of the role of policy entrepreneur. Thus, the contribution of this paper is in assessing the Indian NBP and providing insights in theoretical aspects of policy making in the realm of broadband in emerging economies, an area that has received little attention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Current procedures in risk management request new institutional innovations to effectively respond to observed dynamics. This paper aims to assess and explain institutional innovations in natural hazard risk management by analyzing examples of multi-functional protection schemes, which are distinctive to mainstream solutions. These multi-functional protection schemes combine several different functions (e.g. risk management strategy, sustainable land-use development, individual preparedness and well-being) that are concerned with mitigation systems in order to save space, time and possible arising costs. The paper uses a mixed method approach. The first step includes 14 qualitative standardized semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders connected to proposed transformative strategies in selected four study sites. As a second step, we conducted an explorative scenario analysis with key experts based on potential upscaling of bottom-up innovations to the mainstream natural hazard risk management in Austria. The results highlight that institutional innovations in risk management are dependent on bottom-up initiatives instead of top-down decisions. Consequently, these measures also need a larger risk acceptance among decision makers and the public. Innovations are based on individual interests and certain policy entrepreneurs at local level; however, national authorities act as 'gatekeepers' which allows innovation at local level. Based on these variables, three selected policy pathways were developed to show the tipping points necessary for policy transformation in Austria. • Natural hazard risk management is often organized in a traditional manner. • There is a need for institutional innovations to respond to future challenges caused by a warmer climate and land use change. • This paper aims to assess and explain institutional innovations in natural hazard risk management in Austria. • Institutional innovations in risk management are dependent on bottom-up initiatives instead of top-down decisions. • Bottom-up innovation in natural hazard risk management is mainly based on the solution of local problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]